The taxonomy of the Orchidaceae has evolved slowly during the last 250 years, starting with Carl Linnaeus who in 1753 recognized eight genera. De Jussieu recognized the Orchidaceae as a separate family in his Genera Plantarum in 1789. Olof Swartz recognized 25 genera in 1800. Louis Claude Richard provided us in 1817 with the descriptive terminology of the orchids.. The next step was taken in 1830-1840 by John Lindley, who recognized four subfamilies. He is generally recognized as the father of orchid taxonomy. The next important step was taken by George Bentham with a new classification, recognizing subtribes for the first time. This classification was first presented in a paper that Bentham read to the Royal Society in 1881. Then it was published in 1883 in the final volume of Genera Plantarum. The next great contributors were Pfitzer (1887), Schlechter (1926), Mansfeld (1937), Dressler and Dodson (1960), Garay, Vermeulen (1966), again Dressler (1981). and Burns-Balogh and Funk (1986). Dressler's 1993 book had considerable influence on later work.
![<i>Govenia</i> Genus of orchids](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c1/Govenia.jpg/212px-Govenia.jpg)
Govenia is a genus of plants belonging to the family Orchidaceae. The type species, Govenia superba, was transferred from Maxillaria superba and a genus name was given to commemorate J.R. Gowen, secretary of the Horticultural Society of London and confidential secretary to the Earls of Carnarvon.
![<i>Ornithocephalus</i> (plant) Genus of orchids](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/09/Ornithocephalus_kruegeri_-_fl.jpg/292px-Ornithocephalus_kruegeri_-_fl.jpg)
Ornithocephalus is a genus of orchids comprising more than 50 known species widespread in South America, Central America, Southern Mexico, Trinidad and the Windward Islands.
![<i>Warmingia</i> Genus of orchids](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4f/Warmingia_eugenii.jpg/320px-Warmingia_eugenii.jpg)
Warmingia is a genus of orchids belonging to the subfamily Epidendroideae within the family Orchidaceae. It has four species, native to South and Central America.
![<i>Encyclia oncidioides</i> Species of orchid](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f2/Encyclia_oncidioides_-_flower.jpg/240px-Encyclia_oncidioides_-_flower.jpg)
Encyclia oncidioides is a species of orchid. The diploid chromosome number of E. oncidioides has been determined as 2n = 40.
![<i>Benzingia</i> Genus of orchids](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/24/Benzingia_caudata.jpg/320px-Benzingia_caudata.jpg)
Benzingia is a genus of flowering plants from the orchid family, Orchidaceae. It is native to mountains of Central America and northwestern South America from Costa Rica to Peru.
Diglyphosa is a genus of flowering plants from the orchid family, Orchidaceae. It contains 3 known species, native to Southeast Asia, the eastern Himalayas, and New Guinea.
![<i>Dimerandra</i> Genus of orchids](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6a/Dimerandra_emarginata.jpg/240px-Dimerandra_emarginata.jpg)
Dimerandra, abbreviated Dmd. in the horticultural trade, is a genus of flowering plants from the orchid family, Orchidaceae. The group is found across tropical America: southern Mexico, Central America, the West Indies and northern South America.
![<i>Elleanthus</i> Genus of orchids](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0e/Elleanthus_hymenophorus_%28Scott_Zona%29_001.jpg/240px-Elleanthus_hymenophorus_%28Scott_Zona%29_001.jpg)
Elleanthus is a genus of flowering plants from the orchid family, Orchidaceae. All the species are native to the warmer parts of the Western Hemisphere.
![<i>Eurystyles</i>](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/85/Eurystyles_cotyledon.jpg/320px-Eurystyles_cotyledon.jpg)
Eurystyles is a genus of flowering plants from the orchid family, Orchidaceae. It contains 20 known species native to South America, Central America, the West Indies and Chiapas.
- Eurystyles actinosophila(Barb.Rodr.) Schltr.
- Eurystyles alticolaDod
- Eurystyles ananassocomus(Rchb.f.) Schltr.
- Eurystyles borealisA.H.Heller
- Eurystyles christensoniiD.E.Benn.
- Eurystyles cogniauxii(Kraenzl.) Schltr.
- Eurystyles cornu-bovisSzlach.
- Eurystyles cotyledonWawra
- Eurystyles cristata(Schltr.) Schltr.
- Eurystyles crocodilusSzlach.
- Eurystyles domingensisDod
- Eurystyles gardneri(Lindl.) Garay
- Eurystyles guentheriana(Kraenzl.) Garay
- Eurystyles hoehneiSzlach.
- Eurystyles lobataChiron & V.P.Castro
- Eurystyles lorenzii(Cogn.) Schltr.
- Eurystyles ochyrana(Szlach., Mytnik & Rutk.) F.Barros & L.R.S.Guim.
- Eurystyles rutkowskianaSzlach.
- Eurystyles splendissimaSzlach.
- Eurystyles standleyiAmes
![<i>Galeottia</i> Genus of orchids](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/63/Galeottia_grandiflora_Orchi_001.jpg/320px-Galeottia_grandiflora_Orchi_001.jpg)
Galeottia is a genus of flowering plants from the orchid family, Orchidaceae. It is native to South America, Central America and southern Mexico.
- Galeottia acuminata(C.Schweinf.) Dressler & Christenson
- Galeottia antioquiana(Kraenzl.) Dressler & Christenson
- Galeottia burkei(Rchb.f.) Dressler & Christenson
- Galeottia ciliata(C.Morel) Dressler & Christenson
- Galeottia colombiana(Garay) Dressler & Christenson
- Galeottia fimbriata(Linden & Rchb.f.) Schltr.
- Galeottia grandifloraA.Rich.
- Galeottia jorisiana(Rolfe) Schltr.
- Galeottia marginata(Garay) Dressler & Christenson
- Galeottia negrensisSchltr.
- Galeottia peruvianaD.E.Benn. & Christenson
- Galeottia prainiana(Rolfe) Dressler & Christenson
Grosourdya is a genus of flowering plants from the orchid family, Orchidaceae. It contains 11 known species, native to Southeast Asia.
- Grosourdya appendiculata(Blume) Rchb.f. - widespread from Hainan to the Andaman Islands to the Philippines and Maluku
- Grosourdya bicornutaJ.J.Wood & A.L.Lamb - Sabah
- Grosourdya calliferaSeidenf. - Thailand
- Grosourdya incurvicalcar(J.J.Sm.) Garay - Java, Peninsular Malaysia, Sulawesi
- Grosourdya minutiflora(Ridl.) Garay - Pahang
- Grosourdya muscosa(Rolfe) Garay - Peninsular Malaysia, Thailand, Andaman Islands
- Grosourdya pulvinifera(Schltr.) Garay - Sabah, Sulawesi
- Grosourdya quinquelobata(Schltr.) Garay - Sulawesi
- Grosourdya tripercus(Ames) Garay - Leyte
- Grosourdya urunensisJ.J.Wood, C.L.Chan & A.L.Lamb - Sabah
- Grosourdya zollingeri(Rchb.f.) Rchb.f. - Java, Maluku
![<i>Warrea</i> Genus of orchids](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/bd/Warrea_warreana.jpg/320px-Warrea_warreana.jpg)
Warrea is a genus of flowering plants from the orchid family, Orchidaceae. It has three known species, all native to Latin America.
![<i>Triphora</i> (plant) Genus of orchids](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e8/Triphora_uniflora_32_%282%29.jpg/320px-Triphora_uniflora_32_%282%29.jpg)
Triphora is a genus of flowering plants from the orchid family, Orchidaceae. It is native to South America, Central America, southern Mexico, the West Indies and eastern North America as far north as Ontario. Noddingcaps is a common name for plants in this genus.
- Triphora amazonicaSchltr. - Florida, Caribbean, south to Brazil
- Triphora carnosula(Rchb.f.) Schltr. - Brazil
- Triphora craigheadiiLuer - Florida
- Triphora debilis(Schltr.) Schltr. - southern Mexico, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Panama
- Triphora duckeiSchltr. - Brazil
- Triphora foldatsiiCarnevali - Venezuela
- Triphora gentianoides(Sw.) Nutt. ex Ames & Schltr. - Florida, Southern Mexico, Costa Rica, Veenzuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Bahamas, Greater Antilles
- Triphora hassleriana(Cogn. ex Chodat & Hassl.) Schltr. - from Mexico to Argentina
- Triphora heringeriPabst - Brazil
- Triphora miserrima(Cogn.) Acuña - Cuba, Hispaniola
- Triphora nitida(Schltr.) Schltr. - Costa Rica
- Triphora pusilla(Rchb.f. & Warm.) Schltr. - Brazil
- Triphora ravenii(L.O.Williams) Garay - Costa Rica, Panama
- Triphora santamariensisPortalet - Brazil
- Triphora surinamensis(Lindl. ex Benth.) Britton - West Indies south to Brazil
- Triphora trianthophoros(Sw.) Rydb. Ontario, Eastern United States, much of Mexico
- Triphora unifloraA.W.C.Ferreira, Baptista & Pansarin - Brazil
- Triphora wagneriSchltr. - from Mexico to Ecuador
- Triphora yucatanensisAmes - Florida and the Yucatán Peninsula
![<i>Homalopetalum</i> Genus of orchids](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/52/Homatopetalum_pumilio_flor.jpg/240px-Homatopetalum_pumilio_flor.jpg)
Homalopetalum is a genus of flowering plants from the orchid family, Orchidaceae. It contains 8 known species native to Central America, northern South America, Mexico and the West Indies.
- Homalopetalum alticola(Garay & Dunst.) Soto Arenas - Venezuela
- Homalopetalum hypoleptum(Lindl.) Soto Arenas - Brazil
- Homalopetalum kienastii(Rchb.f.) Withner - Mexico
- Homalopetalum leochilus(Rchb.f.) Soto Arenas - Cuba, Dominican Republic
- Homalopetalum pachyphyllum(L.O.Williams) Dressler - Mexico
- Homalopetalum pumilio(Rchb.f.) Schltr. - Mexico, Central America, Ecuador
- Homalopetalum pumilum(Ames) Dressler - Mexico
- Homalopetalum vomeriforme(Sw.) Fawc. & Rendle - Cuba, Jamaica
Palmorchis is a genus of flowering plants from the orchid family, Orchidaceae. It is native to South America, Central America and Trinidad.
- Palmorchis caxiuanensisRocha, S.S.Almeida & Freitas - Pará
- Palmorchis colombianaGaray - Colombia
- Palmorchis deceptoriusVeyret & Szlach. - Colombia
- Palmorchis duckeiHoehne - Brazil
- Palmorchis eidaeDressler - Costa Rica
- Palmorchis guianensis(Schltr.) C.Schweinf. & Correll - Brazil, Venezuela, the Guianas
- Palmorchis imuyaensisDodson & G.A.Romero - Ecuador
- Palmorchis lobulata(Mansf.) C.Schweinf. & Correll - French Guiana, Ecuador, Peru
- Palmorchis nitidaDressler - Costa Rica, Panama
- Palmorchis pabstiiVeyret - French Guiana
- Palmorchis paludicolaDressler - Costa Rica
- Palmorchis pandurataC.Schweinf. & Correll - Ecuador
- Palmorchis powellii(Ames) C.Schweinf. & Correll - Costa Rica, Panama
- Palmorchis prospectorumVeyret - French Guiana, Suriname
- Palmorchis puber(Cogn.) Garay - Brazil, Venezuela
- Palmorchis pubescentisBarb.Rodr. - French Guiana, Suriname, Brazil, Venezuela, Trinidad
- Palmorchis silvicolaL.O.Williams - Costa Rica, Ecuador
- Palmorchis sobralioidesBarb.Rodr. - Ecuador, Brazil
- Palmorchis sordidaDressler - Costa Rica
- Palmorchis trilobulataL.O.Williams - Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Suriname, Ecuador
- Palmorchis trinotataDressler - Panama
![<i>Psilochilus</i> Genus of orchids](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/42/Psilochilus_modestus.jpg/320px-Psilochilus_modestus.jpg)
Psilochilus is a genus of flowering plants from the orchid family, Orchidaceae. It is native to South America, Central America, Mexico and the West Indies.
- Psilochilus carinatusGaray - Colombia
- Psilochilus dusenianusKraenzl. ex Garay & Dunst. - Venezuela, Brazil
- Psilochilus macrophyllus(Lindl.) Ames - widespread from central Mexico and the West indies south to Peru
- Psilochilus maderoi(Schltr.) Schltr. - Colombia
- Psilochilus modestusBarb.Rodr. - Venezuela, Brazil
- Psilochilus mollisGaray - Ecuador
- Psilochilus physurifolius(Rchb.f.) Løjtnant - Venezuela, Guyana
- Psilochilus vallecaucanusKolan. & Szlach. - Colombia
Systeloglossum is a genus of flowering plants from the orchid family, Orchidaceae. It contains 5 known species, all native to southeastern Central America and northwestern South America.
- Systeloglossum acuminatumAmes & C.Schweinf. - Costa Rica, Panama
- Systeloglossum bennettii(Garay) Dressler & N.H.Williams - Peru
- Systeloglossum costaricenseSchltr. - Peru
- Systeloglossum ecuadorense(Garay) Dressler & N.H.Williams - Ecuador
- Systeloglossum panamenseDressler & N.H.Williams - Panama
![<i>Chondroscaphe</i> Genus of orchids](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3b/Chondroscaphe_chestertonii_Orchi_01.jpg/320px-Chondroscaphe_chestertonii_Orchi_01.jpg)
Chondroscaphe is a genus of orchids native to southeastern Central America and northwestern South America.
- Chondroscaphe amabilis(Schltr.) Senghas & G.Gerlach in F.R.R.Schlechter - Ecuador, Colombia
- Chondroscaphe atrilinguisDressler - Costa Rica, Panama
- Chondroscaphe bicolor(Rolfe) Dressler - Costa Rica, Panama
- Chondroscaphe chestertonii(Rchb.f.) Senghas & G.Gerlach in F.R.R.Schlechter - Ecuador, Colombia
- Chondroscaphe dabeibaensisP.A.Harding - Colombia
- Chondroscaphe eburnea(Dressler) Dressler - Panama
- Chondroscaphe embreei(Dodson & Neudecker) Rungius - Ecuador, Colombia
- Chondroscaphe escobariana(Dodson & Neudecker) Rungius - Colombia
- Chondroscaphe flaveola(Linden & Rchb.f.) Senghas & G.Gerlach in F.R.R.Schlechter - Colombia, Venezuela, Peru
- Chondroscaphe gentryi(Dodson & Neudecker) Rungius - Ecuador
- Chondroscaphe merana(Dodson & Neudecker) Dressler - Ecuador
- Chondroscaphe plicata(D.E.Benn. & Christenson) Dressler - Peru
- Chondroscaphe venezuelanaPupulin & Dressler - Venezuela
- Chondroscaphe yamilethaePupulin - Costa Rica
Stenotyla is a genus of orchids. It contains 9 known species, all native to Central America and southern Mexico.
- Stenotyla estrellensis(Ames) P.A.Harding - Costa Rica
- Stenotyla francoiArchila - Guatemala
- Stenotyla helleri(Fowlie) P.A.Harding - Nicaragua
- Stenotyla lankesteriana(Pupulin) Dressler - Costa Rica, Panama
- Stenotyla lendyana(Rchb.f.) Dressler - Oaxaca, Chiapas, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras
- Stenotyla maculataArchila - Guatemala
- Stenotyla maxillapertaArchila - Guatemala
- Stenotyla panamensisPupulin - Panama
- Stenotyla picta(Rchb.f.) Dressler - Costa Rica, Panama